Acid Spray (Ex)

A hive brute can spray a fine mist of acid in a 30-foot cone as a standard action once every 1d4 rounds. Creatures in this area take 6d6 points of acid damage. Additionally, creatures damaged by the hive brute’s acid spray continue to take 6d6 points of acid damage each round for the next 1d3 rounds. A creature that succeeds at a DC 19 Reflex saving throw halves the initial damage and negates the ongoing damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Most of these creatures are hive-corrupted humanoids, or animals with the hive creature simple template, but sometimes they are different creatures altogether. Animals or other monstrous beasts that reject their role as incubation vessels for hive larvae sometimes instead become powerful hive creatures in their own right. Often found wandering alone or in pairs, hive brutes lack the intelligence and cunning of their kin, but they make up for the deficit with more primal physical abilities. When in a large group of other hive creatures, brutes assist both workers and warriors in their tasks, serving as beasts of burden and war beasts in equal measure.